MasterCard, Dubai Business Women Council Announce Ro’Ya 2015 Judging Panel

Judges shortlist 10 female entrepreneurs to the final stages of Ro’Ya 2015

October 6, 2015

The judging panel for Ro’Ya 2015 was announced today by the Dubai Business Women Council (DBWC), part of the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and MasterCard. It consists of Maryam Al Noori, Managing Director at Worood Intraflora, one of the Gulf’s most successful floral decoration and supply companies, and a Board Member at Dubai Business Women Council; Clare Woodcraft, CEO of Emirates Foundation, an independent philanthropic organization set up by the Government of Abu Dhabi to facilitate public-private funded initiatives for youth welfare across the UAE; Ziad Matar, Senior Director of Business Development at Qualcomm, a global wireless telecommunications products and services company; and Eyad Al Kourdi, Senior Vice President and General Manager – UAE, MasterCard.

As part of their first order of business, the judges were tasked with selecting the top female entrepreneurs for Ro’Ya 2015 and have since shortlisted 10 participants who will progress on to the final stages. The finalists will now undergo extensive soft skill training from CCM Consultancy. The training will coach participants on how to refine, structure, and deliver a strong business pitch in order to motivate your audience and create maximum impact. Following this, five of the 10 shortlisted entrepreneurs will be invited to pitch their ideas, in person, to the judging panel at the Ro’Ya gala dinner on November 23, 2015.

Commenting on the competition finale and judging line-up Dr. Raja Easa Saleh Al Gurg, President of DBWC said; “Last year’s entries set the bar in terms of originality and potential and our judging panel is on the lookout for even better ideas for Ro’ya 2015. The panel is made up of industry heavyweights from diverse sectors and their collective expertise and know-how will help identify tomorrow’s leading entrepreneurs.”

Michael Miebach, President – Middle East and Africa, MasterCard said: “The impact of Ro’Ya 2015 extends beyond just the three winners. Each participant has goes through a tailor-made coaching and development program to give her the tools to build and grow a successful business. This is what makes Ro’Ya unique.”

The competition winner will receive the equivalent of USD 50,000, with second and third prize winners taking home the equivalent of USD 30,000 and USD 20,000 respectively. All three winners will also be partnered up with one of the program’s crowd funding partners – VentureFin – who will take them through a six-week accelerator program to help them hone their entrepreneurial skills and contribute towards the success of their businesses.

For more information about Ro’Ya, log on to royadubai.ae